Exploring Sharpless 282: A Hidden Gem in Monoceros

Sh2-282

Sh2-282 (Sharpless 282) is a very faint Hii emission nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It is approximately 4,075 to 5,000 light-years away from Earth. It belongs to the second Sharpless catalog. It is situated in the north-central part of its constellation. The nebula is roughly 3° south of the famous Rosette Nebula.

The nebula is characterized by red hydrogen gas energized by radiation from nearby bright blue stars. It spans approximately 40 light-years in diameter. In apparent view, that’s 35 arc-minutes. The nebula contains eight cometary globules. These are dense, eroded pillars of gas and dust that are sculpted by stellar winds.

Astrobin link for acquisition details and an annotated version.

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